Paper feeding device for tabulating machines



June 7, 1932. R. E. PAGE PAPER FEEDING DEVICE FOR TABULATING MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 24, 1925 I II IIILIIII/ l K L R. E. PAGE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 24, 1925 I "bent 1 June 7, 1932.

I PAPER FEEDING DEVICE FOR TABULATING MACHINES Patented June 7, 1932UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE RALPH E. PAGE, or iamenmon, NEW YORK,assrcnon ro THE TABULATING mi- CHINE comm; or nmcorr, NEW YORK, Aconronarron. or NEW JERSEY PAPER FEEDING DEVICE FOR TABULATING MACHINESApplication filed December 24, 1925. Serial No. 77,643. .1

This invention covers improved platen feed devices for tabulatingmachines or the like.

It is customary in machines of that type to print data on-sheets ofpaper carried by a platen actuated by mechanism, such as a ratchetdevice, which gives the platen a stepby-step rotation in order that eachitem or line of data may be printed one ordinary line space below thepreceding item. If an extra wide spaceis desired for any purpose, as forinstance, before printing a total it has'been' customary to obtain thatextra space by actu ating the regular. ratchet device more than oncebetween successive printing operations. The present invention disclosesa device by means of'which an increased line space may be obtained by asingle actuation of the paper feeding mechanism.

In certain kinds of work, as for instance in printing certaininformation direct from a record card onto an order blank or bill, aspace between lines is required equal to the length of the order blankor bill, and the .principal object of this invention is to provide meanssuitable for feeding the paper under such conditions.

'F or purpose of illustration my invention is shown in connectionwith aprinting tabulating machine of well known type, such as is shown in thecopending application of Clair D. Lake, Serial No. 639,153, filed May15, 1923, but it should be understood that the invention may be used onany other machine of like nature and the invention extends to such use.

In the drawings, r

- Fig. 1 is a side view of my device, portions of the tabulating machineframe and printing mechanism being indicated by dotted lines. v 1

Fig.2isaplan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section, on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. V

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of upper end of rack with stop cam. In Fig.1,10 is the total print cam and 11 is the listing cam of the tabulatingmachine.

Cam 10 is fast on total print shaft 12 and cam 11 fast on listing shaft13.

\Vhenever a printing operation takes place, shaft 16 is rocked-by one orthe other of cams 10 or 11 through the instrumentality oflever 14 orlever 15. Upstanding arm 18 being fast to shaft 16 is rocked to theright and back to home position during each printing operation whethersuch operation is brought about by cam 10 or 11.

The shafts12 and 13 constitute the totaling and listing shafts of atabulating or record card controlled machine fully disclosed in thePatents 1,822,594 and No. 1,762,145. As

"fully explained inthe patents a series of classified record cards aresuccessively fed to erator, once the machine is set into operation.

The automatic control is fully explained in the patents referred to. Thespecial automatic paper feeding operation is constructed as follows:

20 is the platen fast on shaft 22. Rotatably mounted on shaft 22 is asleeve 24 on one end of which is fast a pinion 26, and on the other enda. ratchet disc28 provided in its rim with a single notch 30 (Figs. 1, 2and 4).

On the outer end of shaft 22 is fast a cross arm 32 on one end of which,at 34, is pivotally mounted a curved pawl arm 36. Arm 36 is equipped onits inner edge witha projecting shoulder 38 held against the rim of disc28- by spring 40 extending from the free end of arm 36 to the free endof cross arm 32.

Pivotally mounted at 42 on the upper end of arm 18 is a rack member 44.At 42 a slot is provided lengthwiseof arm 18 in order that the effectivepoint of connection maybe slot 58 of the rack 44. Fast on the outerendof rack 44 is a downwardly projecting block 60, which cooperates at theproper time with notched collar 62 pinned to platen shaft 22.

With the above construction in mind the operation of the device 'may bereadily understood( While cam 10 is rotating and the type are beingpositioned by arm .64 (Fig. 1), arm

18 is rocked to the right, drawing with it rack 44, which rotates pinion26 one complete revolution clockwise. 7

In normal position, shoulder 38 of arm 36 rests in notch 30 of disc 28.Disc 28 is fast to pinion 26 so when the pinion turns one revolution asabove disc 28 turns with it, carrying with it arm 36, cross arm 32 andplaten 20, which therefore makes one revolution for each revolution oflisting cam 10. The above feeding stroke occurs .while the type arebeing positioned prior to the printing operation.

While the type are being restored to their normal lowered position afterprinting, arm 18 rocks to the left causing rack 44 to restore pinion 26to'its normal position by rotating it one completerevolutioncounterclockwise. During this revolution the platen and itsarms 32 and 36 stand still, while disc 28 turns backwards until at theend of its revolution shoulder 3,8 i again resting in notch 30, ready toturn the platen another revolution when the disc is again turnedclockwise.

This mechanism turns theplaten one com- I plete revolution insubstantially the same period of time required by the ordinary paperfeed devices in turning the platen only one line space, which is only asmall fraction of a platen revolution. The platen turns very rapidly andmeans must be provided at the end of the feeding stroke to stop theplaten at a positive. position and prevent. it overrun ing orrebounding, which would cause, un-

even spacingof the paper.

The positive stopplng means comprises notched collar or cam 62, fast onshaft 22,-to-

gether with block 60, fast on rack 44. 1 Near the end of the feedingstroke the parts are in the position shown in Fig; 5 and are moving inthe direction indicated by the arrows. By

the time rack- 44 has reached the end of its stroke to the right, face66 of the notch in cam 62 has contacted with the lower surface of block60 (Fig. 3) thereby positively stopposition, and preventing it fromrotating in either direction until block 60 has been moved out ofcontact with face 66 which occurs on the return stroke of the rack.

The pin, slot and spring connection between the two halves of the rackmember 44 obviates the necessity of stopping the travel of arm 18 asaccurately as the platen is stopped. Even if the active end of the rackbe stopped, the other end and arm 18 may travel further, the two partsof rack 44 being drawn again into normal relationship by spring 50during the next stroke of the rack. to the left. i

. Thus it will be seen that my invention provides means to positivelyrotate the platen one complete revolution between succeeding printingoperations.

1. In a machine of the class described, a platen, a mechanism foreffecting printing operations, means operable as an incident to printingoperationsto automatically rotate said platen a complete revolution in asingle continuous operation after printing operat1ons,sa1d meanscomprising a smgle notched element, a pawl cooperating therewith and ahigh ratio driving connection to rotate said notched element andtherebythe platen at comparatively high speed with respect to the drivingmechanism.

2. In a printing tabulating machine, in

combination a. platen, intermittently oper-' able printing mechanism anddevices operable as an incident to printing operations, to automaticallyrotate said platen one revolution between successive printing operationssaid devices including a single. notched element, a pawl cooperatingtherewith, and means to positively-and accurately positionsaid platen atthe completion of said revolution.

3. In a prnting tabulating machine in combination, a platen,intermittently operable printing mechanism, devices operable as anincident to printing-operations to automatically rotate said platen onerevolution between successive printing operations and a notched elementoperable at the end of the platen revolution to interlock said platenand said devices to prevent rotation of said platen. I 4. In a printingtabulator, in combination,

a platen, intermittently operable; printing (mechanism, and devicesoperable to rotate said platen one revolution between successiveprinting operations, said devices including a rack, an automaticallyoperated arm toactuate said rack,'and a resilient connection betweensaid arm and said rack.

5. In a machine of the class described, in

combination, a platen printing mechanism operative intermittently by acam and devices operable by said cam to rotate said platen onerevolution between successive printing operations, said devicesincluding an arm rocked emma by said cam, a rack-reciprocated by saidarm and a pinion rotated by said rack.

6. In a machine of the class described in combination, a platen,printing mechanism 1 operative intermittently by a cam and devicesoperable by said cam to rotate said devices including a trainofmechanism comprising a rack, a pinion operable by said rack and a pawland ratchet device.

7 In a machineof the class described, in combination, a platen printingmechanism operable intermittently, a cam, devices operable by said camto rotate said platen one revolution between successive printing operations, said devices including an arm rocked by said cam, a rackreciprocated by said arm, resilient means for connecting said rack tosaid arm, and a device operable to accurately position said platen atthe end of its revolution.

8. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a platen, andmeans automatically effective as a result of a printing operation torotate said platen one revolution in a single operation said meansincluding a driving mechanism including a single notched element and acooperating pawl and a high ratio driving connection to rotate saidplaten at comparatively high speed with respect to the drivingmechanism.

4 In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my I signature.

RALPH E. PAGE.

